Beatriu and Eugènia, the new royal outcasts
The two princesses of York have become the two sad figures with whom no one wants to have their photo taken since they went from collateral victims of the Epstein case to possible collaborators
BarcelonaAn institution as little accustomed to changes, and even less so to rapid changes, as the British Royal Family has finally understood that it has no choice but to adapt to new rhythms when making decisions if it wants to survive. This is demonstrated by the management of the Beatrice and Eugenie of York case, who have gone from being treated as victims of their parents' relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to being seen as active participants in the tycoon's corrupt relationship with their parents. It is for this reason that in recent times, the princesses have suddenly disappeared from the official agenda of events of the Windsor family, who have let them fall to save themselves before it was too late.
Until very recently, what was known about their relationship with Epstein was that Sarah Ferguson had taken them to the tragic mansion in Miami to meet him in person. An transatlantic trip that had taken place after the paedophile was convicted of attempting to prostitute a minor and of having solicited the prostitution of a minor. The meeting took place, according to the Epstein case files that Donald Trump has published –partially!– this 2026, to celebrate Epstein's release from prison, where he had spent 13 months only sleeping after reaching a plea deal with the prosecution. That visit had been understood as a kind of offering to the tycoon, who had been so generous with the parents of the two princesses of York, with whom he did lucrative business and dark favors.
From victims to co-protagonists
Now, however, it has come to light that after that trip –on which both were of legal age and had traveled first class because the flight was paid for by Epstein...– their relationship with their parents' friends continued to evolve as they grew older. Several media outlets have recently pointed out that, over the years, the two young women allegedly served as a conduit to introduce people to Buckingham Palace who were there at the suggestion of the sexual predator, who displayed his power over the Yorks as an example of his global strength and influence.
The gifts that the young women have received over the years from their father's friends have also made their way into the press recently. For example, the diamond necklace valued at 20,000 euros that Libyan arms dealer Tarek Kaituni allegedly gave to Eugenie for her 21st birthday. Perhaps for this reason, he would have invited him to his wedding with Jack Brooksbank in 2018. In fact, that wedding has several blemishes on its record, as it has also been published that Turkish millionaire Nebahat Isbilen allegedly made a payment of 870,000 euros to Prince Andrew as a wedding gift for his eldest daughter. Less concrete but equally revealing examples are the alleged commissions that Andrew allegedly requested in favor of his daughters when he was the UK's special representative for international trade, a position he held during the first decade of the 2000s. The Mail on Sunday reported that through this channel he would have received approximately 115,000 euros from a multimillionaire he was helping.
No room for hesitation
In this context, Buckingham only had two options with the princesses, who are not particularly valued by British society, as they have never shown a prominent profile in academia or in the workplace. The first option was to pretend that nothing was happening until the evidence devoured them and then kick them out. The second option was to kick them out directly. Considering that they don't lose much, at the palace they have easily reached the conclusion that the cost of keeping them within the institution was higher than the cost of losing them. They surely think that this is what they should have done with their father, Andrew, who unfortunately – for them and for everyone – has been treated so gently throughout this whole process.
The decision has been swift and, fearing the possible revelation of new details about the alleged cooperation of Beatrice and Eugenie with their parents' plans, the princesses of York have not been invited to Royal Ascot this year, one of the most important events on the United Kingdom's royal calendar. They, who do not have an official agenda nor receive any payment for being the king's family, do form part of the family events that are covered by the media every year. For this reason, as the months go by, it will be possible to observe how marginalized they have ended up. Surely the recipe they have cooked up for them will be just as forceful as the one Buckingham prepared for their parents, who were no longer admitted even to the family Christmas mass that they have celebrated all their lives at Sandringham Palace. It remains to be seen if they will keep their royal residences, something their father has not achieved. For now, their uncle Charles III has forgiven them this matter, but it would not be strange if their case were to degenerate, they would end up being driven out of the residences they occupy in Kensington and Saint James's Palaces.
A sentenced marriage?
Whereas in Eugènia's case it is known that this whole controversy has affected her in the public sphere because she has had to stop being a patron of the NGO against slavery, which she had represented for years, in Beatriu's case, several media outlets have pointed out that the Epstein scandal has affected her maritally. The English press speaks of the distance that has been created between her and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the Italian nobleman settled in London with whom she married and with whom she has two children. The information published about their marital crisis does not clarify exactly what has happened, and this has led to various interpretations.
On the one hand, there are those who believe that this crisis after six years of marriage is faked and that its only objective is to try to separate his surname from hers for the sake of their businesses in the real estate sector. Presumably, his family would have told him that the York controversy was harming them and that he should separate from her. Since he has not done so, Mapelli would have opted to stage a certain distance and would have ensured that it became known in order to tacitly show his condemnation of the events that his entire direct political family has caused. On the other hand, there are those who believe the information and opine that this is just a first step before the definitive divorce.
This second option has certain detractors who believe that the Mapelli family cannot get rid of this link because the network of contacts for making purchases and sales – as well as large budget renovations – that they have achieved by joining the British royal family is an asset they cannot lose, since before the union their origin was very noble but their bank account very weak. It is clear, therefore, that at this current distance in this marriage there are many calculations from the various parties involved. The calculations of the entire environment of the calculating princesses are what mark their drift today. Although it seems that everything is moving forward, everything is on stand-by. The accounts that will trigger everything will be those of Buckingham. Without the king's support, their lives melt away like a sugar cube.
